What should be the priority? Sighting a Royal Bengal Tiger or appreciating the Sunderban’s natural wonder
Travel-hungry Bengali tourists coming from visiting Sunderban face just one question: “Baagh dekhechhen? (Have you seen a tiger?).
It’s really a fatuous question. Few tourists embark on a trip to the Sunderban with a different mindset. The beauty and grandeur of this mangrove forest lie in its unique, vast eco-system. Unfortunately, tourists head toward the Sunderban in droves, especially during in December-January (peak season) months just to witness what is known across the world as the Royal Bengal Tiger, one of the most powerful Big Cats in the world both in terms of physical strength and hunting prowess.
(On average, a Bengal tiger weighs between 90 and 225kg, with males being large and heavier than females. The strength of a Bengal tiger can be gauged by its powerful jaws, sharp teeth and muscular body.
We (myself, my son Jishu, my childhood buddy Raju and his wife) decided to take the trip entirely from a different perspective. At the end of our trip (two nights three days) organized by Travels Destination Sunderban, Canning, we were mighty pleased and had witnessed the unique bio-diversity of the Sunderban: a maze of tidal rivers, creeks and islands, unparalleled bio-diversity, varied, diverse and abundant bird life and a mesmerizing landscape of dense forests, intricate root systems and the rhythmic pulse of tides — all inextricably linked with resilient local rural culture. It harbors over 450 species of fauna (including salt-water crocodiles, dolphins and turtles) and 26 mangrove species acting as a crucial, resilient natural coastal shield.
Well, to understand the Sunderbans’s diverse eco-system, one should visit at least six to seven times.
We embarked on the trip from Canning railway station at 9.15am from where we were transferred to Sonakhali (about 18kms) by an auto.
We got off the vehicle and boarded MB Bhramonsathi (that’s the name of our motor boat) anchored on the river Hegel. Sujoy and Shuvo and Babusona (the tour operator staff) greeted us on the boat. We then kept our baggage in the lower deck and promptly went upstairs to take our seats. The upper deck was neatly arranged with chairs and later with tables for breakfast and lunch.
As we stood on the upper deck the January-end crisp cold air soothed our souls. Refreshing touch of wind and whisper of cool air made my day. Soon we’re given breakfast (luchi, aloor dom and misti followed by tea). All items were very well-cooked and we enjoyed them thoroughly.
I decided to interact with the pilot (locally known as sareng) of the boat to get to know the specific routes the boat will take and what are the places they’d take us to.
Kalu Sardar, the 40-year-old pilot, an ever smiling and amiable guy, hugely impressed me as he kept narrating several anecdotes and his unbelievable experience during 22 years of his cruising experience across the creeks and rivers of the Sunderban. “I even saw an encounter of a crocodile with a Royal Bengal Tiger,” Sardar recalled. “The battle between the two ended up with the tiger receiving serious injuries which later died before it was taken by the Forest Department guys to the hospital.”
“I saw a tiger only last month at Bonbibi Bharani, a narrow scenic creek in the mangrove forest,” Sardar reminisced.
We visited Jharkhali Wild Animal Park where two tigers, two crocodiles and two peacocks are kept. As we stepped into the Park, we saw a number of signboards displaying pictures of different kinds of birds found there. A big board displays pictures of official birds of all states and Union Territories of India. Here I came to know that official bird of West Bengal is white-breasted kingfisher. I felt ashamed of my own ignorance!
Another board displays pictures of different migratory water birds in the Sunderban. We also saw a huge enclosure where a falcon was kept. Another signboard displays pictures of different types of crabs and mollusk of the Sunderban.
As the sun was setting on the horizon, Sardar took us to Pakhiraloy, where we had to get off to spend the night at a resort called Aponjon.
Evening snack and dinner were cooked at the motor boat and served at the hotel. This tour operator’s cooks (the brother duo) were terrific. All the dishes made on the boat were delectable, especially I won’t forget Golda chingrir malai curry, doi kaatla, betki paturi and Amudi fish fry.
What pained me during my visit was the hardship and tough life the Sunderban people have to undergo especially during natural calamities. Remember the Nature’s fury and massive devastation wreaked by cyclone Aila (May 25, 2009) and tropical cyclonic storm Amphan (May 21, 2020)?
All tourists landed in the Sunderban to see tiger, but who bothers about the poverty and hardship of the folks there,” I thought to myself.
I witnessed first-hand the poor and wretched road that leads to Loknath Temple. When I asked a local how long they are bearing with this, his reply was: “Sir, for the past almost 20 years. The current government made an attempt to improve the road condition four years back, but look at the road condition now!” his disappointment was apparent.” “Every day we risk our lives ambling across this poorly built brick-laid road,” he rued.
One boat staff said: “Following cyclone Aila and Amphan huge number of tarpaulins were stacked in a college. Only a few, who are close to Gram panchyat pradhan, got them and later those tarpaulins were sold.”
Finally, we were taken to Dobanki watch tower and a canopy walk (about half a km long and at a height of about 20 feet from the ground. It resembles a flyover with a 12-ft high side fencing grill and strong net) in the Sunderban Tiger Reserve.
Bengalis’ deeply ingrained wanderlust drives them to the Sunderban but they should remember that they must visit this forest (spanning over India and Bangladesh), a Unesco World Heritage site, simply to appreciate and cherish the unique bio-diversity and natural wonder that the Sunderban is.
